This invention relates to novel antimony halide-organic phosphonate ester complexes useful as catalysts in organic, cationic polymerization reactions.
The use of catalysts in organic chemistry is well-documented, such catalysts often being specific for one or a limited number of reactions. Antimony-containing acid catalysts have been previously described as useful in hydrocarbon conversion processes, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,299.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,025 discloses SbF.sub.5 and, among other possiblities, fluorides and oxyfluorides of phosphorus as catalysts for the polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene.
The catalysts of U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,822 may contain Pd, P and O and optionally Sb for the simultaneous production of methacrylic acid and methacrylate or acrylic acid and an acrylate. The element Sb is only optionally present in the catalyst composition of patentee's invention, and, in addition, the reaction catalyzed is not a polymerization.
In none of the above catalyst patents does one find antimony halide-organic phosphonate ester compositions.
A number of cations have been combined with phosphorus with catalytic purposes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,474,041 and 4,013,586 disclose vanadium, phosphorus, oxygen catalyst systems in the oxidation of hydrocarbons to dicarboxylic acid anhydrides. These compositions are not phosphonate complexes.
Antimony compounds have been disclosed as a promoters for other catalysts; i.e. the antimony compounds enhance the activity of the primary catalyst. U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,920 discloses that maleic anhydride can be made by oxidation of unsaturated hydrocarbons in the presence of oxides of tungsten and phosphorus and a catalyst promotor which may, among many other possibilities, be an antimony compound. Patentee does not disclose catalysts useful in cationic polymerizations.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,582 discloses PCl.sub.3 or POCl.sub.3 as a promotor and SnCl.sub.4 as a catalyst in the polymerization of isobutene. Patentee states in col. 2, line 27, that SbCl.sub.5 is not a useful catalyst in his invention.
The present invention discloses novel compositions of matter that are the reaction product of antimony tri- and pentahalides with organic phosphonates.
Another aspect of the present invention is the disclosure of cationic polymerization catalysts which are antimony halide-organic phosphonate complex compounds.
A further aspect of this invention is to disclose methods of preparation of these novel phosphonate complexes.
An additional aspect of this invention is the disclosure of the use of these novel catalysts in organic cationic polymerization reactions.
It should be noted that the catalysts of the present invention are complexes (which will be discussed below in detail) which appear to be novel in the art. No reference to antimony halide-organic phosphonate ester complexes has been found by the present inventor in the scientific or patent literature.